Immortal Love, Niamh and Óisín
€450.00
In the time after the coming of mortal men to Ireland, the Gods of old returned to their abodes and places of learning. Places in the air and the high air, in the land and under hills and to the country of Manannan son of Lír, King of the sea. His Kingdom was Tír na nÓg, land of the young, beyond the western sea.
Details:
In the time after the coming of mortal men to Ireland, the Gods of old returned to their abodes and places of learning. Places in the air and the high air, in the land and under hills and to the country of Manannan son of Lír, King of the sea. His Kingdom was Tír na nÓg, land of the young, beyond the western sea.
The Fianna at this time were a band of hunter-warriors led by Finn son of Cumhail. It came a day that the Fianna Finn were hunting by the sea at Rosbeigh when Finn and his son Oisín saw a high born and most beautiful woman riding the finest white horse upon the shore.
She rode to where Finn was and told him she was Niamh daughter of Manannan and she had come to Ireland from the land of the young to marry his son Oisín.
Oisín rode with Niamh then across the foaming sea. Finn MacCumhail knowing he would never see his son again raised a stone in his memory.
After 3 years in the land of the young Oisín returned, but three hundred years had passed in Ireland and Finn and the Fianna were but memories. Oisín found the stone raised by his father and realised he had lived out of space and time and was old beyond his years. Stepping from the horse he instantly became an old old man. He was taken then to meet St.Patrick. Their conversation was recorded by the scribes and is known as the “Tales of the Elders”.
Patrick tried to convert Oisín, for he lived in the times before the religion of the Christians.
“You who are bald and bent and blind” Patrick said “Have known three centuries poets sing, of daliance with a demon thing”
“She was Niamh, daughter of the sea, whispering to herself, she enwound me”. Replied Oisín “
O Patrick, by your brazen bell, There was no limb of mine but fell Into a desperate gulph of love for her” and he remembered through the haze of years the high born people of old and the hearts of men in times gone by…
MALE SYMBOLISM: MORTALITY. POET, HUNTER,WARRIOR, LOVER
FEMALE SYMBOLISM: IMMORTAL TIME, NYMPH OF THE WEST
ASTRONOMY: NIAMH IS THE EVENING STAR (VENUS)
Dimensions:
W180mm x H210mm, 7inches x 8.25inches
Irish hardwood beech or ash
Availability:
Original work — one available.
CRAFTED IN IRELAND